INDEX: Award 2021 celebrates designs that "bring humanity forward"

A non-hormonal contraceptive, insulation made from mycelium and a movement that uncovers racial and gender bias in algorithms have been announced among the winners of one of the world's leading design prizes, the INDEX: Award.

One winner from each of the five INDEX categories will receive trophies at an awards ceremony in Copenhagen today during the live finale, which will be streamed globally.

Now in its 19th year, the biennial INDEX award evaluates designs that "improve life", and "bring humanity forward".

"Over the past year humanity has endured extreme hardships and as such never before has solution-driven design deserved such recognition and celebration," said Liza Chong, CEO of The Index Project.

"This year's winners reflect the shift we have seen globally in the past 18 months towards a more egalitarian, sustainable and progressive future," she added.

This year, the five categories are body, work, home, community and play and learning.

Each winning design, which has been selected by a panel of 14 international judges, aims to solve a social, environmental or economic problem.

See all the winning projects below:

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Designer: Oui
Category: Body

The Oui Capsule is a non-hormonal contraceptive that aims to help women take ownership of their bodies. Designed by Copenhagen-based company Cirqle Biomedical, the contraceptive works by reinforcing the natural mucus barrier inside the cervical canal. This makes ovulatory cervical mucus impenetrable for sperm cells.

Users can apply the vaginal capsule before or during intercourse, and it is effective a minute after insertion.

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Designer: Biohm
Category: Work

British biomanufacturing company Biohm has used mycelium, a mushroom root, to produce an environmentally regenerative natural insulation. The concept was born out of the need to reduce the building industry's carbon footprint, which is one of the largest in the world.

The insulating material can be used in both cool and warm climates to lower operational energy consumption and reduce energy consumption overall.

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Designer: Flash Forest
Category: Home

Canadian rainforest reforestation company Flash Forest uses aerial mapping software, drone technology, automation and science to accelerate reforestation worldwide and secure the future of our home and planet.

The software is used by NGOs, governments and corporations in order to successfully reforest and plant trees.

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Designer: Algorithmic Justice League
Category: Community

Algorithmic Justice League is a movement uncovering racial and gender bias in artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

As well as raising awareness about the impact of AI, the group offers practical ways to report AI biases, such as educational workshops and conducting company audits to analyse ethical and moral practices.

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Designer: Truepic
Category: Play and learning

Photo and video verification platform Truepic uses artificial intelligence, cryptography, and computer vision technology to authenticate and approve images and videos as they’re captured.

The aim is to help democratise technology by helping individuals to establish what's real from what's fake.

The Index Project foundation was created in 2002 to shine a light on Danish design. In 2005, it launched the Index Award, which has since become of the world's largest design awards.

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A rural Ecuadorian house features in today's Dezeen Weekly newsletter

The latest edition of our Dezeen Weekly newsletter features a house in Ecuador with rammed-earth walls and a glass outhouse.

Architectural studio Al Borde meant to challenge standards of comfort with its design for The Casa Jardin, or Garden House.

Located in Conocoto, a rural area south of Ecuador's capital Quito, it was designed for a client who desired a home that felt seamless between inside and out.

Readers adore it, with one calling it "just about perfect".

Proctor and Shaw designs London micro-apartment with translucent "sleeping cocoon"

Other stories in this week's newsletter include a 29-square-metre micro-apartment in Belsize Park, London, an interview with London mayor Sadiq Khan and Herzog & de Meuron's design for an extension to the MKM Museum Küppersmühle in Duisburg, Germany.

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Dezeen Weekly is a curated newsletter that is sent every Thursday, containing highlights from Dezeen. Dezeen Weekly subscribers will also receive occasional updates about events, competitions and breaking news.

Read the latest edition of Dezeen Weekly. You can also subscribe to Dezeen Daily, our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours.

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Gensler unveils redesigned lobby in Philip Johnson's AT&T building

New York studio Gensler has completed a redesign of the lobby inside the postmodernist AT&T building in Midtown Manhattan that aims to pay homage to the existing structure.

The overhaul of 550 Madison – also known as the AT&T building after the company it was created for – is lead by Norwegian studio Snøhetta, with Gensler responsible for the renovation of the lobby in the landmarked Philip Johnson-designed building.

The lobby of 550 Madison was designed by Gensler

Gensler aimed to preserve the essence of the original space, maintaining the lobby's height, volume and vaulted features, while creating a "bright, minimalist space."

The studio kept and refurbished the building's large 110-foot (33.5 metres) entrance along Madison Avenue, which leads visitors to the vaulted triple-height lobby.

Large arches mark the entrance to the new lobby. Photo is by James Ewing

Gensler used grand materials throughout the entrance area, including bronze mesh, leather and stone.

Across the floors, greyscale terrazzo is arranged in geometric patterns.

Gensler wanted to reference the history of the building. Photo is by James Ewing

Bronze mesh panels, which the studio used as a buffer between usable space and the triple-height ceilings, line the lower walls below white marble.

The symmetrical lobby also features a stone welcome desk that lines the side of the space. This was placed along the lines of the patterned floor in front of a recessed work area.

Recessed seating booths, set within the bronze-lined walls and parallel to the welcome area, were wrapped in rust-hued leather echoing the bronze mesh panels.

"We were inspired by the large volumes and spatial proportions of the 550 Madison lobby and sought to honor its impressive scale with simple, classical, elegant forms and materials," said principal and design director of Gensler Philippe Paré.

"The outcome is a space which is both quiet, yet powerful; respectful, yet not a reproduction; timeless, yet very much contemporary."

The space follows a strict geometry

A large, multi-storey arched-glass window opposite the main entrance filters light into the lobby and overlooks gardens designed by Snøhetta.

At the centre of the space, a marble, sphere-shaped installation by Alicja Kwade was hung by chains from the vaulted ceiling, 12 feet (3.6 metres) above the ground.

Strip lighting was used subtly throughout the space and across the ceiling

"550 Madison is a unique landmark in New York City that carries a rich history," said managing director of real estate at investment group Olayan America Erik Horvat.

"Our goal with Gensler and other design partners is to add modern upgrades that will ensure its future, while also preserving its history," he added.

"We are thrilled to have Gensler reimagining the building’s lobby to create a beautiful and functional space that also respects Philip Johnson’s original design."

Bronze mesh lines the lower half of the walls

Investment group The Olayan Group is turning 550 Madison into a multi-tenant office space. The overhaul of the building is lead by Snøhetta and developed by Olayon together with RXR Realty and Chelsfield.

The plans to renovate 550 Madison were first unveiled in 2017 and met with a major backlash, with architects including Norman Foster and Robert A M Stern backing a campaign to protect the building.

It resulted in the tower gaining landmark status, protecting the exterior of the stone building. In 2018, Snøhetta released a revised plan of its proposal, which saw the practice focus on "preserving and revitalising" the postmodern building.

Photography is by Fred Charles unless stated otherwise.

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Vela acoustic ceiling panels by Impact Acoustic

Dezeen Showroom: Swiss brand Impact Acoustic has created a range of colourful sound-absorbing products called Vela for use in creative interior environments.

​​The Vela ceiling panels are made in a variety of different colours, patterns and shapes to challenge traditional, "boring" acoustic panel designs.

Vela is a range of colourful acoustic panels

They are suspended from ceilings to help absorb sound and ideally suited to interior spaces such as restaurants and creative offices, according to Impact Acoustic.

There are a total of 28 different colours available for the panels, which are made in various shapes and with different geometric patterns across them.

They are designed to be suspended from ceilings

Each Vela panel is made using Archisonic, a sound-absorbing material manufactured from recycled PET bottles.

Impact Acoustic's in-house design studio is available to advise on the ideal acoustic solutions for a specific space or tailor-make the Vela acoustic panels upon request.

Product: Vela
Brand: Impact Acoustic
Contact: connect@impactacoustic.com 

About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

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LX662 armchair by Frans Schrofer for Leolux LX

Dezeen Showroom: a high-backed seat with exaggerated winged sides defines the LX662 chair, which Frans Schrofer has created for Dutch furniture brand Leolux LX.

LX662 was developed by Dutch industrial designer Schrofer to offer users maximum comfort and privacy.

According to the Leolux LX, this makes the chair ideally suited to lobbies or lounges and "interiors with an exclusive look".

The LX662 swivel chair has a high-backed seat with winged sides

The curved high-backed seat is teamed with a slender base made from metal. It is available in a four or five-prong version.

Both bases can be fitted with an auto-return mechanism, meaning that the armchair can swivel but always reverts to its original position. The seat can also be fitted with a reclining mechanism.

Its back is finished with decorative hand-stitched seams

LX662 is available in a range of different upholstery options and both its inner and outer sections can be finished in different materials.

Finishing touches to the chair include decorative hand-stitched seams across the back of the seat, which is available in any thread colour.

Product: LX662
Designer: Frans Schrofer
Brand: Leolux LX
Contact: info@leolux-lx.com

About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

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See who's ahead in the Dezeen Awards 2021 public vote media categories

With less than two weeks to go, see who's currently in the lead in the public vote for our new Dezeen Awards 2021 media categories.

The public vote, which closes on 11 October, allows readers to vote for projects and studios shortlisted in the architecture, interiors, design, sustainability and media categories, as well as architects and designers in line for the studio of the year awards. Winners will receive a special certificate.

The vote closes on Monday, so vote now!

Click here to vote ›

Public vote winners announced in October

Public vote winners will be announced on 18 to 22 October. The public vote is separate from the main Dezeen Awards 2021 judging process, in which entries are assessed by our panel of professional judges. We'll be announcing the Dezeen Awards 2021 winners online in late November.

Who's in the lead?

With 43,667 votes received so far, here is a snapshot of which projects and studios have received the most support. There's still time to influence the results, so keep voting!

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Architecture photograph of the year

39 per cent – The One by Ema Peter Photography
23 per cent – Niliaitta by Archmospheres
11 per cent – David Brownlow Theatre, Jonathan Tuckey Design by Stephenson&
10 per cent – Shanghai 92 by HGEsch Photography
Eight per cent – Woman and child, Springdale Library, Brampton Canada, RDHA Architects by Nic Lehoux
Six per cent – David Rubenstein Forum 0005 by Angie McMonigal Photography
Three per cent – Bouverie Apartments by Individual

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Architecture video of the year

39 per cent – Tadao Ando by HGEsch Photography
31 per cent – Piazza Giardino by Alberto Danelli
12 per cent – Connections by Breadtruck Films
10 per cent – Rural Studio by Breadtruck Films
Eight per cent – Village Lounge, Shangcun by Xiazhi Pictures

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Shown in this image are the six most popular visualisations

Visualisation of the year

44 per cent – Somewhere in the World by Mue Studio
16 per cent – The Mulberry Tree by Marek Wojciechowski Architects
10 per cent – Landmark Pinnacle by V1
Seven per cent – Remember To Breathe by Alexis Christodoulou
Six per cent – The Secret Cave by Unism
Five per cent – Como Terraces, Living by Gabriel Saunders
Four per cent – The Goodtime Hotel, Bar by Gabriel Saunders
Four per cent – Rockaway by Notion Workshop for Eerkes Architects
Two per cent – Peckham Rye Station by Flashforward
Two per cent – The Modern at Embassy Gardens by V1

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Website of the year (architecture, interiors, design)

32 per cent – Samuel Day by Samuel Day
26 per cent – Orange Architects by Enchilada and PMS72
16 per cent – Rafael de Cárdenas by Ohlman Consorti and Rafael de Cárdenas
14 per cent – Wyer & Co by Wyer & Co, Studio Round and Pepto Lab
12 per cent – Periscope by Villalba Lawson/United Form

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Website of the year (brand)

32 per cent – Plant Designs by Kaleido Grafik
23 per cent – Architextures by Architextures
18 per cent – Muuto by Norgram, Dept Agency, Immeo and Cylindo
13 per cent – Foam by Build in Amsterdam
Nine per cent – Notorious Nooch Co by Wildish & Co
Five per cent – Molten Corporation by Garden Eight

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ReVærk's all-timber school building in Denmark is a lesson in natural construction

Danish studio ReVærk has completed House of Nature, a school building designed to promote learning about nature through its traditional timber structure and wooden shingles, which has been shortlisted in the civic building category of Dezeen Awards 2021.

The Aarhus-based practice designed the building to accommodate the teaching of Nature and Outdoor Life at the Silkeborg Folk High School, with the building itself conceived as a lesson in sustainable timber construction for its users.

The House of Nature has an all-timber structure

Framing views of an adjacent forest, the timber structure, acacia shingle cladding, Douglas fir interiors and wood fibre insulation were all part of a strategy to design a building "as purely based on wood as possible".

"The brief for the new educational building was to create a space that exudes nature and creates a close connection to the surrounding forest," said the studio.

The school offers views of an adjacent forest

"The construction is inspired by the old Danish 'bullade' timber frame construction, dating back to the Viking age."

A cluster of four of these lightweight timber-framed forms make up the school building, connected internally but visually distinct from the outside, where they gently fan out along the edge of a curved, decked path.

House of Nature sits along a curved path

Presenting a blank elevation clad with distinctive acacia shingles on approach from the north, the building opens up to the forest along its southern edge, with full-height windows forming a close relationship between the classrooms and the trees.

"The surrounding forest gives a play of light that creates a unique atmosphere in every room," said the practice.

This atmosphere is enhanced by the Douglas fir planks that cover the interior, working with the exposed timber structure and parquet flooring to create a feeling of being immersed in the woods.

Simple pendants and light switches in black have been chosen to complement the "rustic" nature of the building, and provide a contrast to the paler shades of the timber.

Pendant lights aim to add to the building's rustic atmosphere

A lightweight metal staircase in the centre leads up to the second storey of the central block, where a circular window above a built-in seating area looks out across the forest canopy.

The whole structure has been designed in a way that could be easily dismantled and removed from the site with little trace. Screw-pile foundations raise the building slightly off the ground to avoid flooding.

A metal staircase leads to the second storey

Small vents along to top of the windows form part of the ventilation and heating strategy, which is based on thermal buoyancy to avoid the need for mechanical systems.

Among the other projects included in the civic building shortlist of Dezeen Awards 2021 are Bodø City Hall in Norway by ALL, and Cinema Le Grand Palais in Cahors by Antonia Virga Architecte.

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Es Devlin to hold "conference" of trees as an installation during COP26

British designer Es Devlin will unveil a temporary installation of 197 trees and plant species to highlight issues related to climate change during the COP26 conference.

Called Conference of the Trees, the installation will be presented at The New York Times Climate Hub at the SWG3 Arts Centre in Glasgow, an event running alongside the COP26 climate conference to be held in the city this November.

Artist and stage designer Devlin designed the installation to coincide with the conference involving 197 parties who signed the 1994 United Nations Climate Change treaty, who will gather again at COP26 for 12 days of talks centred on how to tackle the increasing climate crisis.

Creating space for reflection

Conference of the Trees will bring together 197 trees and plants positioned around a low-lit clearing, which will also house chairs to seat audiences attending a series of events held within the installation.

According to Devlin, the project is intended to counter the atmosphere of ordinary conference rooms, which are traditionally top-lit and rectilinear spaces.

"Having read Richard Powers' book The Overstory, I began to consider trees as protagonists, as they are within the context of this extraordinary novel," the designer told Dezeen.

"I wanted to view the conference of the parties from the perspective of a non-human species bearing witness to the decisions the humans might make."

Installation follows previous work in London

Devlin's work will follow her Forest for Change project shown at the London Design Biennale during the summer.

The installation comprised 400 trees that filled the courtyard at Somerset House and sought to raise awareness of the United Nations' climate initiative Global Goals.

Forest for Change was an installation at Somerset House in London

"Forest For Change is certainly part of the same evolving train of thought within our studio," said Devlin.

"As Hans Ulrich Obrist mentioned recently, a lot of artists and designers are working with gardens and plants, trying to explore ways of creative expression that can be regenerative and circular."

Like Forest for Change, the trees and plants that make up Conference of the Trees will be replanted after COP26, in this case in urban reforestation sites in Glasgow.

Forest architect Philip Jaffa and landscape specialist Scotscape, who also worked on Devlin's London Design Biennale installation, will assist with the new project.

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Conference of the Trees will be held at the New York Times Climate Hub at the SW3G Arts Centre in Glasgow from 3 to 11 November. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Watch our live talk on how to design a beautiful TV with Kvadrat, Bowers & Wilkins and Philips TV & Sound

Representatives from Kvadrat, Bowers & Wilkins and Philips TV & Sound will explain how they designed the Philips OLED+986 and 936 TVs in this live case study as part of a collaboration between Dezeen and Philips TV & Sound. Tune in from 2:00pm London time.

The case study is titled How to design a beautiful TV and is the third in a series of four talks by Dezeen and Philips TV & Sound inviting designers from different disciplines to explore the cutting edge of product design.

Philips TV & Sound is represented on the panel by its chief design officer Rod White. Stine Find Osther, vice president of design at Danish textile brand Kvadrat, will also appear on the panel alongside Andy Kerr, director of product marketing at British audio brand Bowers & Wilkins.

The live case study will be moderated by Dezeen's deputy editor Cajsa Carlson and will feature a collaborative presentation from the three brands that will explore in detail the process of creating the OLED+986 and 936 televisions.

Philips' OLED+986 and 936 televisions feature an inbuilt Bowers & Wilkins soundbar, which is upholstered in a Kvadrat fabric.

The panellists will discuss how Philips TV & Sound realised the designs for the televisions by combining its own specialism in manufacturing consumer electronics at scale with Kvadrat's expertise in craft and materials and Bowers & Wilkins' approach to boutique sound design.

The discussion will cover the challenges of incorporating premium materials into the design of consumer electronics, as well as what the future holds for the design of technology in the home.

Rod White, chief design officer at Philips TV & Sound

In his role at Philips TV & Sound, an arm of the electronics brand Philips which designs and produces television and audio products, White is responsible for the company's design strategy and direction and leads its design studios in Amsterdam, Taipei and Shenzhen.

In July, White spoke to Dezeen about European design in the first talk of this series. Last year, he also introduced the brand's collection of portable audio accessories with Georg Jensen in a talk as part of Virtual Design Festival.

Stine Find Osther, vice president of design at Kvadrat

As vice president of design at Kvadrat, Osther is responsible for the creative arm of the business. In her work with Kvadrat's collections, she collaborates with a wide range of external designers including Patricia Urquiola, Olafur Eliasson and the Bouroullec brothers.

Osther started working at Kvadrat in 2007 in the brand's product development team. She holds a masters degree in textile design from Kolding Designskole, Denmark.

Andy Kerr, director of product marketing at Bowers & Wilkins

Kerr joined Bowers & Wilkins in its research and development department before becoming its director of product marketing and communications. During his time at the company, he has contributed to every major product the company currently produces.

Bowers & Wilkins was founded in 1965 by John Bowers and Roy Wilkins. The brand's iconic Zeppelin iPod speaker was one of the first devices to utilise Apple’s AirPlay system.

Bowers & Wilkins' audio equipment is used in Apple Stores around the world, as well as George Lucas’s Skywalker Sound studio and London's Abbey Road recording studio. Its speakers are additionally installed in a number of Jaguar, Maserati and Volvo car models.

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Dezeen x Philips TV & Sound

This article was written by Dezeen for Philips TV & Sound as part of our Dezeen x Philips TV & Sound partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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